From L.A. library to late night: Linda Lindas go viral

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This article was published 04/06/2021 (1957 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Los Angeles punk sensations the Linda Lindas have no idea if the “poser” and “jerkface” who inspired their viral hit Racist, Sexist Boy is aware of their overnight fame.

But more importantly: “Doesn’t matter,” they told late-night host Jimmy Kimmel with a collective shrug met by cheers and applause.

After electrifying the Cypress Park branch of the Los Angeles public library last month with their head-banging anti-bigotry anthem, the musicians of the Linda Lindas — Mila, 10; Eloise, 13; Lucia, 14; and Bela, 16 — made their national TV debut Thursday on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Before lighting up the late-night circuit with passionate performances of Racist, Sexist Boy and their Babysitter’s Club-themed track Claudia Kishi, the Linda Lindas sat down with Kimmel to discuss the concert that has dominated social media recently.

“I was in history class, and my phone kept buzzing, and my teacher kept looking at me like, ‘What are you doing?’” singer and guitarist Bela recalled. “And then I open my Instagram, and it’s like my whole feed is us.”

The rock band, made of up Asian and Latinx members, was motivated to pen its smash hit after a classmate of Mila’s told the young singer and drummer that his dad warned him to “stay away from Chinese people.” When Mila replied that she was Chinese, the boy backed away from her. The rest is music history.

“There’s also a lot of, like, sexism around boys our age, and unfortunately, a lot of people every age,” singer and guitarist Eloise said. “So we were really angry, and we decided to write a song about it.”They also explained the origin of their band name, which is based on the 2005 Japanese film Linda Linda Linda, about a band of teen girls who cover multiple Blue Hearts songs, including Linda Linda.

“However, none of us are named Linda,” singer and guitarist Lucia added.

Coinciding with their breakout library performance and high-profile endorsements from Rage Against the Machine, Sonic Youth and Paramore’s Hayley Williams, the Linda Lindas signed a record deal with Epitaph, a staple of the city’s punk scene.

Their music is also featured in Amy Poehler’s 2021 Netflix comedy Moxie, as well as the streaming giant’s Babysitter’s Club documentary, titled The Claudia Kishi Club.

— Los Angeles Times